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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Lucy determine has no taste?

2. Mariah thinks that her problem is ____________________.

3. How much is Lucy like her mother?

4. What does Lucy send to her mother?

5. Who was the boy with whom Lucy lost her virginity?

Short Essay Questions

1. What irony does Lucy note regarding Mariah's affluent lifestyle and her interest in environmental protection?

2. What are the circumstances that lead to Lucy having sex with Hugh?

3. Who is Lewis and what are Lucy's perceptions of him?

4. What is the content of the most recent letter Lucy has from her mother and how does she respond to it?

5. Who is Dinah and what are Lucy's perceptions of her?

6. What are the reasons that Lucy does not like her mother?

7. Who are Mariah's daughters and which one is Lucy's favorite?

8. Describe Lucy's friendship on the island with a girl named Myrna and why Lucy ultimately grew jealous of her.

9. Who is Tanner and what role does he have in Lucy's life?

10. Why does Lucy tell her mother the tawdry details of her life, and how does her mother respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of women in America in the mid-20th century when the novel is set. What precedents did they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions did they have? What freedoms, if any, did they have that 21st century women do not have?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the ongoing conflict between Mariah and Lewis. What are the main sources of the conflict? Why does it continue? What does Mariah learn about the reality of her life with Lewis as opposed to the perceptions she has held for so long?

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one iteration of the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters who either embody or experience disappointment, citing an example from the novel to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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